The doubts are over: Obama has won. What a great day! Not just for Americans, but for the whole world. He was the right choice, not because of the colour of his skin, but because of the content of his character.

The many Europeans who are snooty about the US should ask themselves: in which European country could the son of a Kenyan immigrant have achieved this? Despite its many flaws, America provides greater opportunities to legal immigrants than other countries do. That is something to celebrate – and something to reflect on.

It’s striking, though, how close the election result was. While Obama swept the electoral college, the popular vote split 52% to 47%. Among men, he won by only 49% to 48%, while women favoured him 56% to 43% (according to a CNN exit poll). And while 18-29 backed him by a 2:1 margin, he was level-pegging with McCain among 45-64 year olds, and McCain won among the elderly.

But dissecting the results is for later. Today is a day for celebration.